Rotary engine.



No. 668,428. Patented Feb. l9, i901.

M. VAN GELDEB.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed June 12, 1900.|

(No Moth 3|.)

5] M van to:

lilivirnn dawns anew trio.

MARTINUS VAN GELDER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFTVVO-Tl-IIRDS TO FREDERICK N. TAYLOR AND CHARLES M. TAYLOR, OF

SAME PLACE.

RTARY EN-Grlhl E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,428, dated February19, 1901.

Application filed June 12, 1900. Serial No. 20,052. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ll/IARTINUS VAN GELDER, a subject of the Queen ofthe Netherlands, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRotary Engines, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of an improved construction of rotary enginewhereby an in crease of speed and power is obtained.

The invention further consists of the structural details hereinafterfully described and claimed.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a rotary engine embodyingmylinvention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section thereof on the line00 cc of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

Referring tothe drawings, A designates the cylinder of the rotaryengine, mounted upon a suitable base B. Through the side walls of saidcylinder and at the center thereof are bearings O for the shaft D. 'Asteam-supply port E is situated at the outer side of the cylinder, aboutmidway between the top and bot.

tom, and at the bottom of the cylinder is an exhaust-port F. The pistonsG are secured to the shaft and fit closely within said cyliuder,therebyobviating the employment of packing between the same and the cylinderand the friction due thereto. The said pistons G consist of acylindrical portion H, having a circumferential rib J fitting within thecylinder, whereby the frictional contact between the pistons andcylinder is reduced. The front faces of the cylinders are serrated toform depressions or valleys K therein, whereby increased pressure byconcentration of the steam within said depressions or valleys by theangles of said serrations is obtained. The relative dimensions of saidpistons and the serrations are exaggerated in the drawings for thepurpose of illustration, whereas in practice they would be considerablysmaller. For instance, in a piston of about two and one-half or threeinches in diameter said serrations would be about one thirty-second ofan inch deep. The 1 Patent No. 857,220 for a water-motor.

serrated front face of the piston is to be distinguished from a pistonor bucket having divided facessuch, for instance, as shown in In thispatent the buckets of the wheel have two curved faces, against which thewater successively impinges, but neither of which is serrated, being, ineffect, two buckets with plain faces, whereas in my engine the pistonhas but one front face, against the entire area of which the propellingmedium impinges, and this face is serrated. The rear sides of thepistons are provided with inclined sides or cones L to decrease theresistance to the passage of the pistons, and suitable braces M mayextend between adjacent pistons.

The operation of the engine will be readily understood, as it is similarto that of rotary engines of this class. My improved construction,however, increases the speed and power due to the concentration of thesteam in the valley or depressions. The steam, furthermore, cannot slideso quickly to the edges of the piston, so that I am enabled to dispensewith the usual packing to cause the engine to run smoother and with lessfriction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, a cylinder havinginlet and exhaust ports, and apiston having a serrated front face.

2. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, and apiston having an integral enlargement or rib fitting said cylinder, thefront face of said piston being serrated, and the rear face beingprovided with a cone.

3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, and apiston having a serrated front face and a conical back face.

4. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, aplurality of pistons, each of said pistons being formed of a cylinderand a cone, and braces connected with the cylinders and cones ofadjacent pistons.

MARTINUS VAN GELDER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. Wrnnnnsnnrn, HARRY COBB KENNEDY.

